Red Dimensions
by lolly2222
Summary: Jane has an accident on a case and finds himself transported to an alternate universe. AU!
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: So I wanted to do an AU story for a while now. It'll hopefully not be too long but I've only done this intro and a tiny but of a second chapter so it may be slow going.**

**Disclaimer: If only, imagine having Simon Baker have to do what I tell him...**

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The case was odd to say the least; a nut job, Frankenstein style doctor, an isolated lab and torrents of thunderous rain made for a strange concoction. Jane knew he had little in the ways of manly pride, but what small amount of dignity he did posses, kept him from admitting he was a teensy weensy bit petrified and maybe shaking... in his boots, though that could be from the frigid rain.

Lisbon was the picture of tranquillity of course; she was five foot of fierceness, give or take three inches. Sometimes he hated his job, creeping around this Bates style house was one of those times.

He longed to reach his hand out and hold the base of Lisbon's jacket, grounding him back to reality and away from his overactive imagination. She was his safety, his home, his reason and his protector. He balked at his own audacity to have once pronounced the words that he would save her.

Lisbon glanced back and obviously caught the fear on his face.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"Yes... no, does it matter its not like we can leave" Jane griped, too out of sorts to pretend with her. He had a strange feeling since they got this case and it intensified tenfold on seeing the Doctors choice of lair. He was clearly drugging these women as no amount of persuasion would get a sane woman here.

"Cho and Rigsby are circling round, we'll get him don't worry" Lisbon soothed.

"Sure... yup the psycho body harvester will be easy to catch. I've never seen this horror film" Jane snipped. Lisbon quietly chuckled at his behaviour.

"Don't worry Jane I'll protect you from the bad man" she mocked, hoping to lighten his mood.

He let out a low ha before closing the gap between them further. A flash of burning white light illuminated the dark room briefly. The room looked far less terrifying for that split second, why oh why couldn't they do this in daylight.

They neared the wooden door that led to the batshit crazy doctor's inner sanctum. The clinical term laboratory just couldn't cover the horror show that the man put on behind these doors.

"Okay Jane, we're going in, so hang back okay, let us handle this" she ordered.

"Stay safe Lisbon... please" he hated that he was whining, but screw their boundaries; she needed to come back to him.

Lisbon simply nodded to avoid responding. Of course she did, they didn't word their emotions or thoughts, as any show of attachment was faaarrr too complicated for them.

Kicking down the door Lisbon screamed her identity and her affiliation with the C.B.I. The 'good' doctor froze in surprise at her appearance. With his bottle caps glasses and wild hair, he looked so innocent, like they all did. God damn doctors, they were all freaking crazy.

His lab felt like 'Star Trek' had met 'The Fly', a mixture of crass oversized electronics and tiny neat computers. All somewhat typical except for the huge spherical antenna, bam smack in the centre of the room, climbing right through a skylight and beyond for your entire lightning rod needs. Jesus Jane was gonna have a field day once '_Dr Lugosi'_ here was secure.

He went to bolt for the other door meeting Cho in the place of wood. His eyes flitted between the two exits, a trapped animal sizing up his chances. He relaxed and held up his hands in surrender. Cho approached, clasping the cuffs on him before proceeding to read him his rights as they moved to leave the room.

"My, my, Lisbon how very Hammer of him no?" Jane exclaimed in glee on entering the room.

"Jane get out, we have to secure the scene and the prisoner properly" Lisbon yelled.

Noting the senior agent's distraction, the prisoner kicked Cho squarely in-between the legs and bolted. He pushed Jane with all his force against the silver centrepiece. Jane landed with a heavy thud, momentarily disorientated. Lisbon tackled the Doctor with ease, knocking him out in the process.

"Woops" she said, looking at the man on the ground, "you okay Jane?" she asked, far more concerned by her consultant.

"Yeah sorry..." he replied, a crack of lightning cutting off his sentence.

It shot down from the heavens entering the sphere, crackling bright blue as the machine sprung to life, Jane could only observe as it speedily approached him.

It hit with the force of a car and as his body convulsed and shut down, the only thing he could hear was Lisbon's cry of his name, both desperate and frantic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: So I was going to just keep going with Rouge Noir and leave this one for a bit but then I had some inspiration for this one too, so here we are. **

**Disclaimer: Bruno's got the mad skills not me.**

**If there are mistakes I have no beta and I wrote and posted this in one day so...  
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"Lisbon" Jane cried out as he sat straight up, his body still shaking from the shock.

"Everything okay baby?" a girlish voice emerged from the darkness.

Jane recoiled in horror from the mass next to his, a body that was too close, so near that in effect he could tell she wasn't wearing clothes. The warmth of her naked flesh on his rose bile from his stomach. His mind was a blank. Who was she and how did she get him here?

What the hell was going on? He knew this room, even in the dark of night it was as obvious to him as the back of his hand or the grooves in Lisbon's couch. He was home, well not his home anymore but in his family home in Malibu.

But why and how and who the hell was beside him. His eyes became more accustomed to the minimal moonlight, enough that he could see a bedside lamp so he leaned over to switch it on. The sudden visibility burned his eyes despite its low wattage,

"What the hell Patrick?" his companion snarled, "I've work in four hours."

He looked at the woman next to him, gathering as much information as he could, praying his neural pathways would piece this mystery together for him. She was tall, willowy and cheap; her blonde hair as fake as her oversized breasts.

Daddy issues, probably an ugly duckling until a surgeon made her a swan. The poor girl was evidently still trying to sleep her way to getting some self esteem.

"Who are you?" he shuddered out, still shaken from his location and her proximity.

"Are you _kidding_ me? It's been a month..." she snarled.

"What are you doing here? Where's Lisbon?"

She glared at him, her face a mixture of rage and disgust. "It's after four in the morning and you want me to play, guessing the capital city... Portugal you jerk. If this is one of your psychic games I'm not playing, now turn off the light."

"This is not a game" he screamed, leaning over menacingly until he was eyeballing her "_Who are you_ _God Damn it_?" he yelled again.

"Go to hell you crazy son of a bitch" she screamed throwing herself from the bed. Grabbing her clothes from a chair she didn't bother to dress before exiting. Jane heard the sound of her feet on the wood before the slam of his front door.

Definitely his home, the exact right amount of steps, the same creak in the wood floors, yet like it was years ago before... before Red John.

He searched the room for clues, the shadows casting darkness on relics of his past, ones that were no longer supposed to exist. His eyes fell to the tangled sheets, how could he do that in his marital bed?

Just as importantly how was this bed here, he had burned it along with everything that Red John had touched that night. Half of the items in this room were supposed to be ash right now. The only thing meant to be here was the cheap mattress he purchased to replace it.

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He grabbed his cell phone from the locker pressing his first speed dial, Lisbon's picture failed to fill the screen. What the... it wasn't connected either. It always went straight through to Lisbon; he tried all the ten options on speed dial, while all women, none of them were the one he wanted.

He looked up his contacts, under all the possibilities, Lisbon, Teresa, Pocket rocket, Angry little princess, Jesus even Pepper. She wasn't there. He went into his memory palace dialling from his retrieved memories her number before her current one, it went to voice mail; some guys' gruff monotone greeted him. Not her again.

He tried the number she had before that and the one she had changed to, after he put it on a website for fetish lovers, not her again. He was stumped.

He thought to the last thing he remembered, he was in that freaks house. He had been joking with Lisbon and had fallen. More of his memories of the night came back, he was supposed to be in the woods, and it was raining there, not here in Malibu. He felt he was going mad. _Oh God, _please don't let him have had another psychotic break.

No, he wouldn't have, couldn't have, the only possible thing that would cause that was if Lisbon had been... no she was fine, he was clearly dreaming. That's it he was asleep all he had to do was wake up, right? He pinched himself, it hurt but he remained here.

If it wasn't a dream, how did he get here? And where was Lisbon? Had he passed out, hit his head harder than he realised, maybe gotten himself into another fugue state. He did get hit on the head a lot but that didn't explain the furniture.

He glanced at his phone, the date and time were right, that was something.

None of this made sense, perhaps he had been hypnotised or Red John was playing a 'Truman Show' style mind game on him. He got out of the bed and moved to the wall, closely examining the paint for signs of the smiley face.

None that he could see easily, though the walls were now a light blue instead of their usual butterscotch cream. The whole room had a more overt masculine feel. If Red John was messing with him then he was doing a great job but he was not going down without a fight.

If that was the case he would drive to Sacramento, to the CBI. It would prove pretty fast one way or another if he was allowed leave and if this was in fact his real home. Grabbing some clothes he marvelled at them. Designer and sleek, nothing like he wore these days. They were very reminiscent of his glory days.

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Dressed, with wallet and car keys in hand he entered the hall where his daughters closed door caught his eye. Slowly he moved towards it. He gulped down air and twisted the knob.

It swung open easily and revealed her room as it had been. All her toys, the various photos of her that decorated the walls, even the bedspread... the one that was covered in blood when he had wrapped her cold body in it; begging her to warm up, they were all here.

Jane dropped to his knees, sobbing out his grief. This was beyond cruel but in some ways he wished he had kept it like this, as a reminder of who she was in her life instead of her death being his only focus.

After several long minutes he eventually composed himself. Standing up he gave bambi a run for its money, his shaky legs barely able to support him. He took a small bunny from the locker, Charlottes favourite, and shoved it into his pocket.

It had been burnt along time ago, but here it was again and he realised he had missed it; perhaps he should have tried to wash it. He should have done a lot of things differently.

Dawn was approaching as he took to the road, at least his Citroen was parked outside his house and he needed the normalcy it afforded him.

Though on closer inspection several scrapes and small dents he had received over the years were missing. Most notably not there was one where he had angered Lisbon and unable to catch him to punch him, she had kicked his car instead. He smiled at the memory of her and the idea he would see her soon.

She would know what to do and would make it all better. The sun peeked over the horizon, its orange and pinkish hue bleeding into the dark recess of the night. The waves became mirrored reflectors, motioned glass shimmering towards the shore.

Jane was starting to feel normal again; the familiar drive to headquarters and the furthering distance from his house was quieting the voices of his past. He looked for the large sign warning of danger on the Rambla Pacifico and the group that was funding its restoration but it had disappeared. Odd it had been there for two years and the old road block was gone too**.**

Jane took the turn off for the canyon road and nearly crashed his beloved car. Pulling hastily to a stop he stepped out to get a better look. His eyes burned from his refusal to blink. This couldn't be.

He had driven this road thousands of times before and after the 2007 fires. He knew the landscape and buildings so well he could draw them from memory.

The rising light only emphasised the discrepancy further. The beams hitting houses that was no longer supposed to exist. They had burned and been rebuilt, except they were here, as if it had never happened. Red john was good but even this was beyond him.

As he stood staring, all the pieces fell into place, his shift in location, the items at his house, Corral Canyon standing as it once was before the fire. If the date was the same then that could only mean one thing, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, _however improbable_, must be the truth.

He was in a different reality, but that added to no smiley face begged the question, where was his wife and child. He needed Lisbon now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors note: Wooaah cannot believe how long it's been since I updated with anything, all in all no creative juices have been flowing except one shots. Please don't expect a regular update I had a plan for this but can't remember what it was I'll have to piece it together from bits I jotted down. I blame the finale it distracted me!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it I would have to stick to deadlines and I'd have probably have written down my idea.**

_**Thanks to those who reviewed, favourite and alerted, they guilted me into continuing as I may have left it otherwise!**_

Jane had grown more and more anxious as he drove towards Sacramento. He had checked his phone for a number for Angela, or even people he had known back when she was alive. Nothing, nada, zip, there was absolutely no hint as to how he could contact her or where she was. It just didn't make any sense at all, nor did this slightly distorted world he suddenly found himself in.

Now he was at the CBI, his sinking feeling grew.

Jane entered the building, noting several changes there too, from the decor being a different colour, to the tall security guard sitting at reception. He scurried past using his knowledge of the layout to slip by without identifying himself.

He bounded up the stairs to their floor. He was dismayed to see his couch had become a wicker, khaki monstrosity, but that was nothing to the stab he felt when he looked at Lisbon's office. The gilded lettering shouted 'Senior Agent Kimball Cho'.

Where the hell is Lisbon, he needed her now.

A young woman he didn't recognise walked up behind him and politely asked if he required any help.

His patience was long gone, so forgoing his usual subtle persuasion; he just demanded an answer instead. "How long has Cho been the senior agent here?"

"Umm Senior Agent Cho has headed the team for three years" she answered despite being shocked at his bluntness, "Who are you exactly and how did you get in here?" she asked timidly.

Three years, Jesus she could be anywhere, hell she may have never even come here. Lisbon could be an FBI agent, still in San Francisco, maybe Chicago, or worse dead... his heart sunk at that thought. Just what was going on, because all he knew for certain was he hated this world.

Seeing the woman edging towards her panic switch, he flashed a smile and a plausible explanation.

"It's okay, I'm sorry I should have said..." he paused to shoot her a dazzling grin, "I'm a new consultant. Helping out on some cases here."

"Yeah who hired you then?" she countered suspiciously.

_Crap._ All Jane knew was with Cho as the boss, who the hell could guess at who running the place; they had a scarily fast turnover when it came to employees as it was.

"Your boss of course" he deflected.

"Really? Lisbon hired you? _I doubt it_" she scoffed, "I'm calling security."

Jane head began to swim, Lisbon was in charge and she was here. Relief flooded through his body, she was only one floor up. He was so close he just had to get rid of this annoying woman.

Placing his hand on her shoulder he spoke softly and rhythmically, calming her and placing thoughts in her head. He told her to go back to work and forget she ever saw him.

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Leaving the floor, he vaulted up the stairs too impatient to wait for the elevator again. He was aggravated to see yet another person blocking him from her. Lisbon was better guarded than Fort Knox. He waited for her receptionist to go to the bathroom before slipping in.

It was not an imposing space like Bertram or Hightower favoured, it felt warmer despite its size, nor were there any fussy decorations. He glanced around the room, she still had her dogs on the wall amongst blown up photos she had probably taken, his eyes landed on her baseball memorabilia. His Lisbon was still pretty much herself so.

She finally noticed his presence, her brow furrowing as she met his eyes.

"Hello... may I help you?" she inquired politely.

"Lisbon it's me" he could hear the needy tone in his voice. Where had that come from?

"That Senior Agent Lisbon sir and you are?" her eyes narrowed as she looked him over, trying to place him.

"Patrick Jane" he smiled regardless of the ache that formed when he realised in a weird way he no longer had his best friend, his rock to rely on.

"Well Mr Jane how did you get in here and more importantly how did you get past Trina?" she indicated to the desk outside.

"Your pit-bull is in the bathroom" he shrugged.

"So you snuck in here" as he nodded he saw her grasp for her gun, "Sir I need you to leave quietly or I'll be forced to call security"

"Lisbon we both know you'll do that anyway. You're not going to trust that I'll leave on my own, or that I'm not a threat but I can't leave not until you hear me out."

"How very astute of you. So what can I do for you then?" She watched him closely, her hand still hung just above her holster.

"This is going to sound crazy" he opened with, unsure of what to say, it's not like he knew what was going on.

"That's okay, I've already come to that conclusion about you myself" she muttered under her breath.

Jane smiled at her "Sarcastic as always my dear... well as I know how much you appreciate honesty and directness, I woke up today in the wrong world" he finished quickly, his words sounding utterly ridiculous to his own ears and no doubt hers as well.

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"Wrong world... not body?" She clarified, her voice calm, her tone the same as when dealing with gun wielding maniacs.

"No this is not the world that I know. Well it is and isn't, there are many similarities so far and only a few differences..." Jane trailed off, he was really screwed.

"Well as a psychic do you not traverse two worlds any way?" she pointed out.

"So you do know me?" he smiled again.

"Know _of_ you, it took me a minute to place your name" she clarified, her hand resting atop her weapon.

He knew this was not going well. "This is not a joke, you have to believe me. Lisbon I need your help. Please."

"And why should I trust you and more importantly why me? I don't know you."

Jane's face fell at this statement, this was a nightmare, and he always feared one day Lisbon would abandon him but he never saw it play out this way.

"In my world were partners and best friends" he explained.

"Me partnered with a fake psychic riiight" she looked at him like he had two heads.

"Almost word for word with your reaction to me the first time we met, well apart from a few expletives" he smirked.

"No offence Mr. Jane but I'm busy and I think I've been more than patient with your... delusions" she finished nicely.

"I know everything about you... well provided nothing's gone differently. I'll prove I know you."

"Ha that convenient." Lisbon openly mocked his attempts to explain.

"You have four freckles on your inside thigh that looks like a heart." He figured that would get her attention.

"How do you know that?" she hissed, eyes darting to the door fearful of being overheard, her hand tightening on her gun.

"Let's just say I've seen you in your alluring Lisbon and Chicago jerseys a few times, and an image like that stays with a man."

It had more than stayed with him, it had been burned into his brain as soon as he saw it, and he was still human despite being practically celibate.

"I we ... no... ... you could have talked to an ex" she guessed.

"Lisbon, Lisbon, Lisbon, so suspicious" he chuckled. "Okay you tell me what you want to know then, ill convince you."

"My favourite musician?"

"Willie Shubert. You listened to him religiously in college when you missed home. Though you are partial to 'More than words' from your high school days, or at least I hope you still are," his mouth quirked at the memory of the only school dance he had ever been too.

"Why?" she wondered, the wistful look on his face was endearing.

"Let's say I have a vested interest" Jane evasively avoided sharing that private memory.

Lisbon raised her eyebrow.

"Listen you're good, but then you know that it's why you are on TV. You could have found this information from other people, you haven't convinced me and you won't so I'm giving you the opportunity to leave now and I'll pretend this never happened." Lisbon gestured to the door, ready to call for help as soon as he left.

Jane was desperate, he needed her help. "Okay I know you, you have three brothers, and your mother was a nurse, father a fire-fighter."

"Google."

"He used to beat you and you brothers."

She shot him down, "Also well documented."

"You drive exactly on the speed limit, never below, never above. You hate marshmallows now, because your mother used to add them to your hot chocolate as a special girly treat. You also can't stand the smell of Baileys; it makes you sick because at college you did too many Baby Guinness's. Which I would have loved to see by the way" he teased, forgetting himself for a moment.

Continuing he listed off just a few more of the Lisbon litany he has amassed over the years. "You love cop dramas and old movies, you cry when you hear 'over the rainbow'. You are kind, loving sweet and generous but hate to show these traits because you think it makes you weak, but it doesn't Teresa, to be that way after everything, just shows how strong you are."

He took a breath, trying to refocus; he could see her resolve was breaking as her mouth hung agape at his words. He was reluctant to say his next thought. It felt like a betrayal, his Lisbon had told him it after a Red John case, over tequila in the darkness of his attic, to him and for him alone to know.

"On the day your mother died you dropped chocolate ice-cream on her Grandmother's heirloom quilt. You worried for years she was mad at you and that she died hating you." He breathed it out in one joined sentence fearful if he paused he wouldn't finish.

Lisbon's face crumpled "How? I never told anyone... not even my brothers."

"You and I have much in common; misplaced guilt is one of them. Do you believe me yet?" he pleaded.

"Everything is telling me that you're crazy and to call security..." she started.

"But you won't" Jane finished for her.

"I wont?" she countered, irritated by his self assurance.

"No you are the patron saint of lost causes and more importantly your curiosity has been piqued, and you love a puzzle."

"Yeah well curiosity killed the cat if I remember correctly" she crankily replied.

"I would never hurt you Lisbon" Jane stated honestly.

She watched him closely for a minute. Running through everything in her head, she mentally weighed her options.

"God help me I believe you... so Mister Jane how can I help" she asked slumping back in her seat in defeat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so I have very little time at the moment but this was nearly done, so I and my tired mind decided to post it in honour of the new series. Apologies for mistakes its 1am here as I post possibly the worst grammar check time ever!**

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She was going to help him, to save him; the woman was truly a saint regardless of which reality. Despite his need to find his family many questions about her ran through his mind; like how long was she in this office? Where was Minnelli? Did she have the Red John case? Was ice cream still her favourite treat?

Jane forced himself to think about the issue at hand. He took a breath and moved to the seat in front of her desk. It was soft and cosy; funny that even as the big boss she wanted people to feel safe.

He smiled at her and began his tale, praying that she would remain convinced of his truth. Time slipped by quickly while Jane recapped his experience, from the murder house to the flash of light, right through to his waking up in this reality.

Lisbon nodded along, still watching him intently for any signs of falsities, interrupting when necessary for further clarification.

They sat in an awkward silence when he eventually finished, Jane staring at her like she was an insect under a microscope. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't place, but it was almost like disappointment, almost that she wasn't good enough. Leaning back in her seat, she placed her clasped hands on her stomach and processed what he had told her.

The afternoon light bathed the room in a warm glow and the sole noise was the soothing ticking of a clock in the room. Lisbon felt drained and part of her wanted to curl up on her couch and sleep, she always did think better after sleep, it helped her fire on all cylinders.

Jane smirked at her, noting her eyes flicking to the throw on her couch. She scowled when she realised he had picked up on her train of thought.

Deciding they were on more stable ground he shattered the stillness.

"Its funny you never slept on your couch before I worked with you, the mere idea of a throw you deemed unprofessional" Jane remarked.

Lisbon grimaced at his words, before starting on what was on her mind, "So again Mr. Jane, what _exactly_ can I do for you?" Lisbon asked, choosing to ignore his comment.

"Simple... I need to find my family and its just Jane or Patrick please" he soothed.

Relieved by the easiness of his request she smiled, "Okay Jane it is then... so how do you..."

"What is it with you and first names Lisbon" he interrupted, highly amused by her decision to use his last name.

"You call me Lisbon" she pointed out.

"Because when we first met you told me not to use Teresa and that a jackass such as myself, would be gone long before we ever got to first name basis," he told her. Smiling at the memory of how far they had come.

However being with this Lisbon, draped in all her suspicions, just reminded him of how hard he fought to be close to her and how much he was missing that feeling.

"How long were you partners?" Lisbon questioned, prompted by the look of longing in the strange mans eyes.

He stated proudly, "We have been and _still are_ partners for over ten years."

"But you still use last names" Lisbon pointed out.

"Habit" he shrugged, "that and with all the crap we throw at each other, it's nice to have something that conveys truth and importance... using our first names does that for us."

"You're close" she stated.

"Yes," he strangely wasn't comfortable talking about Lisbon to Lisbon, it felt like it was breaching her trust, a crazy reason, but hell maybe he was.

Sensing his reluctance, she changed the subject, despite her desire to figure out this stranger. "You have gone to a lot of trouble to find and convince me and... well... somehow you have, so again what exactly do you need Jane?"

"So... when I awoke, it was apparent my wife and child had existed along the same lines as my reality but there was no sign that Red John had killed them like in my world, so basically I need to find out where they are."

Lisbon scrunched up her nose in confusion, "and Red John is?"

Jane froze, meeting her eyes, searching for any dishonesty or to see if this was a sick joke. Lisbon's face was completely open, showing only innocence and puzzlement.

Oh my God she did not know who he was. She had no clue who the murderer that had plagued their lives was, the man who wanted her head brought to him, who had murdered her friend in her sanctuary.

Perhaps he was known as a different name.

"Red John, he tasers women, duct tapes them, draws a smiley face with the victims blood on a wall. He has murdered over twenty people and countless others through his network, in a fifteen year timeline..." Jane practically yelled, his cool gone as Lisbon stared at him blankly.

Lisbon shook her head, "I'm sorry Jane, I've never heard of him or anyone who sounds like that. While we have a few serial killers at the moment, the closest we have is one who has nine victims and they are all prostitutes."

A world without the mad man puppeteer, perhaps this version is not so bad after all. "He, he... he doesn't exist?" Jane double checked. Lisbon simply shook her head no.

Jane could not get his mind to accept the idea, before he could really try another question slammed to the forefront of it, "but then where is my family?"

"That I know how to find out or I will," she smiled reassuringly.

Lisbon opened her laptop, pulling up her search engine "Give me their dates and a brief description."

Jane rattled off the information as Lisbon's fingers flew across the keys. He could see her concentrating, skimming over the information. The moment she knew so did he. Her face slipped, sadness marring her features.

She looked over the screen at him, "Oh Jane I'm so sorry, they're..."

"What do you mean they're dead, you said you had never heard of Red John," he shrieked.

"I haven't and it wasn't murder" she said softly, her tone trying to calm the man.

"What? How then, how did they die?"He demanded standing up and looming over the desk, his hands white from gripping it tightly.

Lisbon held his eye, her wariness had returned. "Jane I'm so sorry, but you need to calm down, sit down now, please."

He slumped back in his chair weary from a loss that was both fresh and old. "Just tell me please," he begged.

"Your wife had gone to visit her brother with your daughter before Christmas. There was an electrical fault with the tree lights, all three died from smoke inhalation. The coroner said they did not suffer" she soothed.

"When?"

"Why does it matter?"

"WHEN?" he yelled.

Taken aback by his sudden anger, Lisbon re-scanned the information for the dates. "16 of December 2003," she supplied.

"2003, God that's only six months after he would have done it. All this... I switch worlds and they died anyway." He slumped, almost hunching into himself, the anxiety coming off him in waves. His stomach clenched, the feeling on par with a kick to the gut, it was unreal he had lost them again. He failed to protect them in every life, what monster must he be to deserve this fate again and again.

His counterpart obviously felt no guilt though, it explained why his home here was habited, and his persona so very little altered, he was blame free.

To Lisbon his sorrow was tangible, his loss so deep, it saddened her. "I'm so sorry Patrick if I can do anything..."

Jane dragged his palm down over his face; he felt the cold moisture on his fingers.

"All that guilt, all the pain and they'd be gone either way. ... ... She'd mentioned it to me, in my life... that... that year she planned to visit Danny," he explained.

Lisbon took his hand, it was cold from shock. "I know this probably doesn't help but sometimes souls are too bright for this world."

He met her eyes with scorn, but didn't pull back from her grasp, "No, no it doesn't help Lisbon, in either world religion holds no place for me. If there is a God then I clearly wronged him greatly. Imagine giving me a second chance only to _so cruelly_ snatch it away."

Lisbon sat patiently opposite him, lightly squeezing his arm, not offended by his words. She was so similar but in so many ways different. His Lisbon would know what to do here; she would help him, talk to him.

"I have to get back to my world and my life," Jane said sharply, pulling his hand away. My Lisbon hung unsaid between them, he knew she probably would not care but he didn't want to seem rude. Lisbon was no doubt hot headed in any world.

"And how do you expect to do that?" Lisbon asked, though really she felt like perhaps suggesting a psychiatrist... for them both.

"I'm not going to a mental Institution Lisbon," he chastised.

Her eyes narrowed, "its creepy when you do that, stop it."

"It's what I do, what the CBI pays me for."

"Oh they pay you to read my mind do they?" she snipped.

"No to observe, reading you I do for free" Jane added.

"Well aren't I the lucky one" she grumbled, "In the interest of getting my life back to normal, what was that doctors name again, perhaps he could help" Lisbon suggested, it was logical if this was all true then he could help return Jane.

"Good call Watson" he chided.

"Watson are you kidding me? My God your ego is so unbelievingly ..." Lisbon was cut off by the phone.

Throwing Jane a look that warned of further reprimanding she answered. "Hello... yes... ... I hardly think that matters... ... well that's your opinion."

Jane watched with growing interest, as Lisbon grew more frustrated with the caller. She dropped her eyes away from his stare.

"Umm hmm, Umm hmm... ... ... I'll take that under consideration _Agent_... Goodbye" she finished up curtly taking care not to slam the phone down no matter how much she wanted to.

"Perhaps next time you should..." Jane started.

"Listen Jane, my personal life is none of your business so how about you don't say anything."

"Personal hmm that's interesting" he smirked.

"No it isn't, now give me the doctors name so I can be rid of you" she growled.

"Oh touchy touchy, it was Dr. James Myers."

"Fine." Lisbon typed away ignoring Jane completely. He smirked the whole time, grumpy Lisbon was so much fun.

She scowled focusing on the screen, "There is nothing about him on the system of late, I've a name and that he studied medicine and science in Harvard, but nothing in the last few years."

"Try property" Jane said, waiting as Lisbon tapped her keys.

"There is a property registered to a Mrs Myers near the Tahoe national forest" Lisbon uttered.

"That's him... well his mother, she was dead in mine but that's where we drove." Jane added happily, glad of the progress.

"Okay well she is alive now so why we don't drive out and question her; let's see just what her son is up to these days" Lisbon suggested.

Jane pushed back his chair, the day going far smoother than he had planned. It was odd but this Lisbon was far more impulsive than his Lisbon, he just wasn't sure if he liked it or not on the whole, but for his purposes right now it suited him just fine. "Wonderful how about we take my Citroen?"

Lisbon shot him down quickly, "How bout we don't, I'm sure your driving is terrible and my car is meant for long distance."

"Yes perish the thought Senior Agent Lisbon is not in control" Jane mocked.

"Oh I have the guns don't worry Jane I'm always in charge" she teased back as they left the office.

"Trina can you forward my calls please, I've a case out of town" Lisbon called as they passed by her shocked secretary. Jane threw her wink to further kafuffle the woman; he could never pass a chance to be mischievous.


End file.
